O-GlcNAc transferase promotes vascular smooth muscle calcification through modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Vascular calcification (VC), associated with high cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), involves osteogenic transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). O-GlcNAcylation, a dynamic post-translational modification, is closely linked to cardiovascular diseases, including VC. However, the exact role and molecular mechanism of O-GlcNAc signaling in abnormal mineral metabolism-induced VC remain unclear.

The value of restriction spectrum imaging in predicting lymph node metastases in rectal cancer: a comparative study with diffusion-weighted imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging.

Background: To investigate the efficacy of three-compartment restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the assessment of lymph node metastases (LNM) in rectal cancer.

Methods: A total of 77 patients with rectal cancer who underwent pelvic MRI were enrolled. RSI-derived parameters (f, f, and f), DKI-derived parameters (D and K), and the DWI-derived parameter (ADC) were calculated and compared using a Mann-Whitney U test or independent samples t-test.

Exposure to air pollution and the risk of type II diabetes mellitus: a time-series study.

Background: Environmental factors have been identified as primary risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, studies on the association between environmental factors and T2DM have mainly focused on morbidity and mortality, which do not fully reflect the disease burden stemming from air pollution. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between air pollution and T2DM, including hospital length of stay (LOS) and costs.

IDO1-mediated M2 macrophage polarization alleviates the progression of ankylosing spondylitis.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) plays an anti-inflammatory role in autoimmune disease. However, its specific function in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of IDO1 in AS.

Research progress on treatment measures for joint function in non-surgical patients with knee osteoarthritis.

As human lifespan increases and the proportion of obese people increases, the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis continues to increase. Its main clinical manifestations include joint pain, snapping, and decreased joint function. Due to the slow progression of the disease in KOA, patients have been troubled by the disease for a long time, affecting their quality of life.

Association of blood cadmium and physical activity with mortality: A prospective cohort study.

Physical activity (PA) may be considered an alternative method to ameliorate the elevated mortality risks associated with cadmium exposure. In this prospective cohort study, a total of 20,253 participants (weighted mean age, 47.79 years), including 10,247 men (weighted prevalence: 50.

PEG-modification enhances the targeted photothermal therapy of affibody-conjugated indocyanine green for precision cancer treatment.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an innovative cancer treatment that leverages heat generated from near-infrared light exposure to induce tumor cell death. A major challenge in PTT is achieving precise delivery of the photothermal agent to tumor tissues to maximize efficacy and minimize off-target effects. In this study, we introduce a novel ligand-coupled photothermal reagent that addresses this challenge by leveraging the high-affinity HER2 affibody Z (referred to as Z), conjugated with indocyanine green (ICG) for targeted delivery.

S100A4 exerts neuroprotective effects by attenuating blood-brain barrier disruption and oxidative stress via the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 axis in ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, with oxidative stress and blood-brain barrier (BBB) injury playing crucial roles in its pathogenesis. Our RNA sequencing results revealed that S100 calcium-binding protein A4 (S100A4) is highly expressed in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model. We analyzed S100A4 expression in ischemic stroke patients and in mice subjected to the MCAO model.

Prognostic significance of LOXL2 enzyme activity in primary myelofibrosis.

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2), an enzyme involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, in PMF pathogenesis. Analysis of bone marrow cells from PMF patients revealed significantly elevated LOXL2 mRNA expression compared to healthy controls, which was further validated using 2 independent Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (GSE26049 and GSE12234).

Rapid Response to Penpulimab Combined With Anlotinib and Chemotherapy in a Thoracic SMARCA4-UT Without PD-L1 Expression: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumor (SMARCA4-UT) in the chest is a high-grade malignant tumor that grows rapidly and often carries a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective treatment available until now. Here, we report a case of SMARCA4-UT in a patient who showed a swift response to a combination treatment of penpulimab, anlotinib, and chemotherapy.

Neuropeptide-mediated activation of astrocytes improves stress resilience in mice by modulating cortical neural synapses.

Astrocytes are known to modulate synaptogenesis or neuronal activities, thus participating in mental functions. It has been shown that astrocytes are involved in the antidepressant mechanism. In this study we investigated the potential hormonal mediator governing the astrocyte-neuron interplay for stress-coping behaviors.

Primary intestinal NK/T-cell lymphoma complicated by intestinal perforation.

We report the case of a 32-year-old female patient who presented with worsening symptoms of bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. Based on the clinical presentation, colonoscopy findings, and CT imaging, the patient underwent colectomy for suspected intestinal perforation. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry analysis of the resected specimen ultimately led to the diagnosis of primary intestinal NK/T-cell lymphoma.

Abnormal regional brain activity in patients with first-episode medication-naïve depressive disorder: A longitudinal fNIRS study.

The potential relationship between abnormal brain activity and clinical symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is important for auxiliary diagnosis and prediction of the curative effect of treatments for MDD. Before antidepressant treatment (T1), 4 weeks after treatment (T2), and 8 weeks after treatment (T3), 33 patients with first-episode medication-naïve MDD and 30 healthy controls (HCs) were examined using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate the cerebral hemodynamic response in the frontal and temporal cortex during the Verbal Fluency Task (VFT). Compared with HCs, VFT scores and activation levels of the frontal pole, inferior frontal gyrus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly decreased in the first-episode medication-naïve depressive disorder patients (FMD).

Randomized, Phase III Trial of Mixed Formulation of Fosrolapitant and Palonosetron (HR20013) in Preventing Cisplatin-Based Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: PROFIT.

Purpose: Mixed formulation of fosrolapitant and palonosetron (PALO), HR20013, is a novel fixed-dose intravenous antiemetic combination that could simultaneously antagonize neurokinin-1 and 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptors. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HR20013 plus dexamethasone (DEX) versus fosaprepitant (FAPR) plus PALO + DEX for preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC).

Methods: This is a noninferiority study.

RNF144A inhibits autophagy by targeting BECN1 for degradation during infection.

is widely used in the laboratory as an infection model for the research on pathogenesis and host defense against gram-positive intracellular bacteria. Macroautophagy (called simply "autophagy" hereafter), is important in the host defense against pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. BECN1 plays a pivotal role in the initiation of autophagy and accumulating evidence indicates that post-translational modifications of BECN1 provide multiple strategies for autophagy regulation.

Fatty acid synthase inhibition alleviates lung fibrosis via β-catenin signal in fibroblasts.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive and lethal interstitial lung disease with an unclear etiology and limited treatment options. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) plays various roles in metabolic-related diseases. This study demonstrates that FASN expression is increased in fibroblasts from the lung tissues of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in bleomycin-treated mice.

Novel applications of metformin in the treatment of septic myocardial injury based on metabolomics and network pharmacology.

Background: While metformin has shown promise in treating septic myocardial injury (SMI), its underlying mechanisms and impact on metabolic disturbances remain poorly understood.

Methods: This study employed an integrated approach of metabolomics and network pharmacology to identify key targets and pathways through which metformin may act against SMI. Findings were validated using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model.

Effects of integrated blood purification on haemodynamics and oxygen metabolism in children with severe sepsis.

Objective: To investigate the effects of integrated blood purification on haemodynamics and oxygen metabolism in children with severe sepsis.

Methods: Clinical data of 12 children with severe sepsis admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of our hospital between October 2021 and June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with integrated blood purification, and changes in haemodynamic parameters, including heart rate, blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and cardiac output, and oxygen metabolism parameters (blood lactic acid, oxygen delivery, oxygen consumption and oxygen extraction rate) were observed before and after treatment.

Long‑term survival after comprehensive treatment in a patient with advanced neuroendocrine neoplasm of the pancreas: A case report.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the pancreas (pNENs) are rare. In February 2021, a 54-year-old woman was diagnosed with pNEN and multiple metastases within the liver. The patient, diagnosed with grade G2 neuroendocrine neoplasm (T4N0M1), underwent an ultrasonography-guided liver biopsy and radiofrequency ablation.

NEDD4L contributes to ferroptosis and cell growth inhibition in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by facilitating xCT ubiquitination.

The oncogene xCT plays an indispensable role in tumor growth by protecting cancer cells from oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Emerging evidence indicated xCT function is tightly controlled by posttranslational modifications, especially ubiquitination. However, it still remains unclear what specific regulatory mechanism of xCT by ubiquitin ligases in human cancers.